Spotlight #19Launch Pad for Consciousness by Ezry Keydar

In DitoGear™ Spotlight #19 we are sharing an exceptional project by Ezry Keydar. “Launch Pad for Consciousness” is a meditation on short humans existence in contrast to the eternality of the universe.

And what’s your latest project? Share your interesting stories in the next spotlight.

Natalia Brzakala: What was the reason for creating the video?

Ezry Keydar: I live in a small desert town near the sculpture park on the rim of Ramon Crater in Israel and for some time I wanted to do a time-lapse movie about the park and the amazing view around it.
The APA1777 (Artists for Public Art association) and the Louvre Museum film contest, Now You See Me!, about public art, was a good trigger to get up to work. In the end, I made a movie about a specific sculpture created by Ezra Orion in 1986, which eventually was awarded in the contest.

NB: Please say something about Ezra Orion and his works.

EK: In my eyes, Ezra Orion is of the most important public domain artists in Israel. You can find his works all over Israel. Although his most common work environment was the desert, his perception of art drew his art beyond the limits of material or even planet earth.

The sculpture the movie describes is from his second phase, of tectonic sculpture, expressing an urge to join the sculpture of earth forces. The following phases where sculpting in the solar system (on the face of planet Mars using NASA’s probe) and inter galactic sculpture using laser beams to launch energy bar orthogonal to our galaxy’s plane.

Unfortunately, I feel that Orion’s work does not have the proper credit and recognition in Israel. I hope that my movie will arise more attention toward his work.

NB: What’s the philosophy behind this project?

EK: I used Orion’s text as a narration for the film that talks about the paradox of human short mortality in contrast of the eternality of the universe.

I felt that time-lapse technique serves well the time-compression effect needed to emphasize this contrariety. Compressing nine shooting days and nights in to 5 minutes is somewhat an allegory to this paradox.

NB: How do you perceive this sculpture?

EK: Orion’s text claims that the sculpture is a launch pad for the visitor’s conciseness. A tool that helps human mind to expand its limits beyond its existence.
Spending so many days in this artwork, I learnt that it works. Most of the shooting period, I was there alone working on DitoGear™ equipment setups and getting, without prior intention, in to a deep meditative state.

Nevertheless, while I was there, I could see a similar impact on short-term casual visitors. I hope I succeeded to bring this spirit in to the movie.

NB: I think that sound design perfectly matches the project. Could you please say something about it?

EK: I created the sound track especially for the movie. I used Cubase software and included few layers of sound synthesis plugins. It was designed as a supportive background to the narration and to sustain the psychedelic atmosphere of the movie.

NB: What DitoGear™ equipment did you use in this project?

EK: I own a four dimensions Evolution Motion Control Kit including 1.5m OmniSlider Servo, OmniHead, LensDrive and a DryEye unit.
I use Evolution kit to create all shooting via an android tablet, I prefer the Evolution over using few hardware controllers. I find it more flexible, mobile and creative.

Interested in Multi-axis Motion Control Kit?

Check DitoGear™ Evolution Multi-axis Motion Control Kits

NB: What do you like about motion controlled time-lapse?

EK: I think that, beyond the high esthetics of the results, an artist should use an artistic tool for a good reason. I am fascinated with the option to allow viewers to witness a slow process that usually would skip their attention, so I seek for good conceptual excuses to justify the use of motion controlled time-lapse technique.

NB: What is your next video-art project?

EK: I am going to investigate further more human consciousness processes, using motion controlled time-lapse to capture the reflection of meditation sessions on faces and bodies of meditation practitioners.

NB: Ezry, Thank you very much for sharing your project with us. Congratulations for winning the contest!